The Art Of Decluttering

I find it ironic that I had a closet filled with clothes but nothing to wear, or a makeup counter bursting with products but I found myself using the same lipstick and wearing the same clothes everyday. I was also surrounded by a room that was beginning to turn into an episode of Hoarders (which is a really interesting show by the way). I was overwhelmed with items around me that really didn’t make me happy.

I had been away from my family home for 3 years and now that I was back, I was confronted with the clutter that had accumulated over the years. Books and clothes that hadn’t been read or worn in years were stacked in every corner. It was so much that I didn’t have space to keep the things I actually use. It was truly suffocating.

Most people are a “I’ll use it one day” or “just incase” type of hoarder. This mentality makes me keep things that I really don’t need or like when it comes to clothing, books and makeup. I often felt guilty about throwing things away but I felt even more guilty for being surrounded by so much clutter.

After reading Marie Kondo’s book, the single most important thing I have learnt is recalibrating the relationship I have with the items I own. Now I sit and consider if an item I own “sparks joy” in me. Do I feel good, fulfilled and happy using this item? This is how I understand the statement that is used extensively in the book. If it doesn’t, it is better to let it go.

I’ve discovered that I do not need to feel guilty for giving away things that are in perfectly good condition, things I may use one day (which hardly ever comes) and just incase items. We often feel we are protecting the items we own by keeping them close to us but in reality it is the opposite. These items are sitting in a corner collecting dust, often forgotten, not being used. Marie Kondo says “If our items could speak, would they be happy?” I don’t think so.

Letting go of these items gives them, in essence, a new life where they may be cherished and used by someone else. I’ve realised that each item plays a special role in our life; that purple lipstick you never used? It taught you what lipstick colours worked for you and what didn’t. It is time to thank it for fulfilling its purpose in your life and let it go. Those books you read halfway last year and have been meaning to complete? It’s time to thank it for entertaining you briefly and let it go.

This change in my mentality has led me to remove an estimated three 50 gallon trash bags of things that do not “spark joy” in my room.

I have also learnt how to fold clothes properly. I usually stacked my clothes on top of each other when I folded them, which is a recipe for clutter, mess and crinkled clothes. Now I fold my clothes the Marie Kondo way; vertically and colour co-ordinate. This has helped my organisation and reduced the stress of figuring out what to wear since all my clothes can be seen at a glance.

Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures of my room before I started decluttering. I didn’t realize I would probably want to blog about the process.

However, just to give you an idea of how cluttered things could get, here was a picture of one of the most cluttered tables in my house:

Now tables look like this:

I feel like a minimalist princess. I don’t know who I am anymore. Thank you Marie Kondo. Seriously, get this book.

Now that I have somewhat handled my clutter problem, I am now interested in tackling my style problem. I don’t have access to the clothing I want to buy so I have to wait till September till I can buy a whole new closet. Through decluttering I discovered that I hate ALL my clothes and I don’t really have a personal style. I am now in a long process of discovering my personal style and aesthetic. I am currently loving a classic, sharp smart wadrobe with lots of white and pops of red and mustard.

Questions!

How do you personally tackle clutter?

Thanks for reading!

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Such an inspirational post!
It is that time again to open the windows, dust & organize.
Don’t forget to back-up your important files (digitally & physically)
Updating your contacts lists & making a physical copy is a lifesaver.

Most of our frantic note taking happens on scraps of paper, receipts,
backs of envelopes etc. So it is nice to sit down & transcribe those 📓
thoughts into a more permanent home. We work better with a loose
timetable & realistic goals. It is quite fun to work in small bursts.

Oh thank you so much! You have no idea how glad at I am that I could help you just a bit. Thank you for your kind words and comments. I also suggest buying the book too there is soo many things that are covered there it’s truly life changing!
❤

Thank you so much! Your post was really, really helpful and although I have just found your blog, I love it already! I’ll look into the book, it sounds amazing. I can’t wait to see a tidy house again! Whoops, I’m supposed to be tidying. I better get back on that!

I am trying to start the decluttering process myself. I am struggling with one thing though…what do you do if you think you might need an item later? For instance, don’t you have those days where you are feeling adventurous and wear an item of clothing you hadn’t touched in AGES, but then you end up liking it!?

Hi! It happens to me sometimes but now that I decluttered all my clothing I like to see everything I wear at a glance in my closet or laundry basket. It just makes your life much easier and organic. I think you need to actually ask yourself if the clothes really does “spark joy” in you. There is probably a reason why you didn’t wear the item as much. However in the decluttering process I also found a lot of clothes that I hadn’t worn but I still liked, I kept them and now I wear them often cause they’re close by!
I hope I could help! Thanks for commenting 💕

I really love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you make this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own personal website and would love to find out where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Cheers!

Good to read! I recently relocated abroad (and while I was able to leave some summer items at my mums house – I moved to Sweden for a year), it was SO good to get rid of things. I agree, I felt bad at first getting rid items I have never used or clothes in perfect condition but I realised they would be better off at the thrift stores I was sending them too. It feels so good to have less stuff, and to appreciate and really use the things you hold on to.

This is honestly such a refreshing post. I have a cluttered room and It makes my mood sour so much! I just look around and see things strewn everywhere. I have ‘the chair’ in the corner which is piled up with several clothes, the several law textbooks and notes on my bed, some clothes which are clean but haven’t been put away on my bed, a pile of clothes not folded in the wardrobe, empty hangers.. it drives me mad! I really need this book in my life! I too hoard clothes and keep saying I will wear them one day.

“Through decluttering I discovered that I hate ALL my clothes and I don’t really have a personal style. I am now in a long process of discovering my personal style and aesthetic.” ABSOLUTELY RELATABLE! I hope you keep us updated on this journey because I am also struggling too! I see all the photos of clothes I absolutely want but due to different factors can’t get them now, all I can do is dream. I have so many clothes but I only use a few which is frustrating sometimes … ahh life

I really liked this post, please do more on this de-cluttering shin-dig! It would be beneficial to many especially me!

Girl thank you so much for the comment! I too know the “chair” all too well. 😂😂 It’s an amazing book because it will really help you get rid of all those things you talk about. I had clothes that I hadn’t worn for over 5 years just piled in boxes in my room till I read this book!
And about the clothes, I totally relate to what you’re saying. I still don’t know what I really like in terms of clothes and I had so many I never wore. Now they’re much smaller but I still hate them. I just hope it sorts itself out one day. Haha fingers crossed.

And I would love to do a series on the decluttering! I think it would be helpful. Is there anything in particular you have in mind?

I’m definitely going to try and get the book. If I can’t, I’ll look for other books on de-cluttering. Your post inspired me to get rid of the clothes (aka fold and put away properly) on ‘the chair’ and to try and clear what is meant to be my study table. My pastor always says ‘whatever you haven’t worn in 6 months doesn’t belong to you anymore’. And I kind of agree, but I tend to keep stuff because of the memories attached e.g. I can look at a shirt and remember ‘oh I was wearing this shirt on the day this happened’. I tend to keep so many things just for memory purposes which isn’t really great

My house has so much clutter and It drives me mad sometimes! When I want to give away the clothes, I feel why would I give clothes away when people are hungry? What can clothes possibly do for them? Still, I can’t wait for a church program coming up later this year where we can give all our old stuff for people to ‘buy’ at no cost.

We really need to figure our styles out. I recently got some nice additions and I feel things are looking up in the style department.

About the series: Just basically essential lessons, tips and excerpts from the book you know? I mean, looking from the photos in this post you had a complete makeover for sure! Just maybe ‘how to start decluttering’ or basic steps for beginners. I’m sure an idea will come anyhow!

Totally feel you girl! My own bad habit was keeping things and saying “I’ll take them to the church later” and store them somewhere and never take them again. So piles upon piles of clothes will be sitting somewhere never being used. It was really sad and wrong! 😭

I like those ideas! I’ll take note and definitely do something to that effect. I think it will be very helpful. Thank you! 💕💕